Romantic Spirit of Paris and Rome Itinerary

Paris is a city of light and romance that crosses the banks of the famed River Seine. The famous gargoyles and spires of the Notre-Dame cathedral capture the inspiration of Victor Hugo’s passionate epic The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. The covered passageways retain a dramatic sense of 19th century Paris reflected in the charming window displays that showcase delicious chocolates, elegant boutiques, and seductive cafes filling the walkways with the aroma of fresh macarons. Your flight lands at Charles de Gaulle Airport, where your private transfer will greet you upon arrival and escort you into the heart of the city.

The beauty of Paris welcomes you immediately with quaint book vendors and artists that line the Left Bank of the Seine River. Your guide will greet you at the hotel and escort you to the Champs de Mars, a large field once used for military training and marching grounds. The green space also held the World’s Fair in 1889, for which the Eiffel Tower was built. The iconic French structure acted as the gateway to the fair and a model of French engineering ingenuity. As it reaches 1,063 feet tall, it was the world’s tallest human-made structure until 1930.

Walk the 360 steps to the first level for a moderate view of Paris before you continue to the breathtaking top floor for a remarkable panoramic view of the spirited city at sunset. The clear sky allows you views that extend over 43 miles. You’ll notice that the staggering height of Notre-Dame’s 230-foot tall tower looks tiny below. The marvelous sunset over the city brings brushstrokes of orange and pink across the sky before the streets glow and provide a new understanding for Paris’s nickname as the City of Lights.

The Louvre Museum is a symbol of France’s dedication to the arts. The building is the embodiment of the French monarchy’s former tenderness for opulence. In the morning the aroma of frothy cappuccino fades beneath the scent of fresh-baked croissants, which emanates from the corner boulangeries. You will meet your guide at the entrance to the Louvre Museum, which hosts 30,000 unique pieces of artwork spread across 652,000 square feet. The lavish collection of the work provides intimate portrayals of romance and indelible displays of the human need for different methods of storytelling. Your guide will lead you through the massive collection of winding halls and open galleries to reach the statue of Aphrodite of Milos, also known as Venus de Milo.

The graceful statue was crafted in the 2nd century BC to depict the goddess of love and beauty. The sophisticated marble style stands six feet, eight inches tall and was discovered on the island of Milos in 1820. The serene beauty of the statue embodies the spirit of classical artwork, which emanates from the embodiment of love. In the evening you will board a cozy boat on the waters of the Seine River and notice the glowing city surrounding you through the floor to ceiling glass windows. The remarkable scenery of the city reflects in the river as you sip wine, dine on a delicious three-course meal, and dance beneath the streetlights of the captivating, illuminated city.

In the morning, the romance lingers along the narrow waters of the Canal St-Martin when the vintage road bridge opens to let through passing boats. A café serves fresh espresso to couples strolling alongside the banks in the quiet hours of the early day. You will set out with your guide to the lavish grounds of Versailles, a former royal hunting chateau. Eventually, it became a sumptuous grand palace and center of political power of the French kings in 1682. The grandeur of the finer details that adorn the halls, galleries, and apartments were meant to impress visiting dignitaries and aristocrats.

The Hall of Mirrors glitters with lavish adornments along the nearly 240-foot long room that acts as the passageway between the King’s and Queen’s apartments. The nearly overwhelming décor consists of 17 massive mirrors in 18 segments. The natural light pours through the giant windows and reflects against the mirrors, spreading over the golden statues, extravagant crystal chandeliers, and grand ceiling paintings for a sensational glittering effect. The majesty of the hall embodies the extravagance of the palace grounds encompassing over three square miles.\

Upon your return to Paris, partake in producing the seductive flavors of sensual chocolate during a private confectionary tour. The scent of bittersweet cacao fills the kitchen and blends with the sugary aroma of crushed pistachios. Your instructor introduces you to the importance of quality cacao sourced from conflict-free farms. You will learn the proper methods for tempering chocolate, as well as the best combination of ingredients, and the best ratio of sugar to pure cacao. At the end of the lesson, you will have produced a divine chocolate truffle perfect for a romantic date night when you return home.

The romantic in you will travel to the tomb of Oscar Wilde in the morning to view the embodiment of the satirist and celebrated author captured in the “kiss wall.” To prevent visitors from leaving behind lipstick marks on the actual tomb, the wall was erected in 2011 to protect the stone compromised by the lipstick and pressure of thousands of lips pressing onto the commemorative statue each year. Visitors continue to kiss the glass partition around the tomb in devotion to the Irish playwright in the oddly romantic ambiance of the historic Père Lachaise cemetery. You meet your private photographer after the visit for a unique photo shoot that captures the romance of Paris and your time exploring the City of Love.

You stand at Pont d Bir-Hakeim, which crosses the Seine River to connect the 15th and 16th arrondissements. The beautiful early 20th-century architecture overlooks the water with a romantic colonnade. You continue to the peak of Montmartre, home to the Bohemian essence of the Belle Époque and whitewashed walls of Sacré-Coeur. Relish the shots that capture your love as you are surrounded by Paris, the playful colors of the carousel, and the narrow winding streets on which Toulouse-Lautrec, Gaugin, and Matisse painted. After sundown, you relax in a gorgeous restaurant on the hill of Montmartre and listen to the irresistible sound of live guitar fill the dining room.

Few actresses exude romance and sophistication like Audrey Hepburn. Before you leave Paris, you stop for delicious breakfast at Angelina, Hepburn’s favorite café in the city. The spot is known for its divine hot chocolate and seductive pastries. Your private transfer will greet you in the hotel lobby after breakfast and escort you to the airport for your flight to Rome. The iconic streets, museums, and artwork are immortalized within the Eternal City. However, the romantic charms of cobbled lanes and ancient ruins emanate from the 1953 film Roman Holiday, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.

Your private escort will greet you at Fiumicino Airport and escort you to a luxurious hotel in the ancient city center. Begin your highlights tour of the classic city at the Bocca della Verità, following in the passionate footsteps of Princess Ann and reporter Joe Bradley. The Mouth of Truth is a marble mask located under the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin Church. The feature weighs over 2,866 pounds and depicts the face of the sea god Oceanus. Many historians believe the mask was actually used as a drain cover in the Temple of Hercules Victor.

The legend about the Bocca della Verità states if someone lies and puts their hand inside the mouth, their hand will be cut off but those who tell the truth will keep their hand. After touring the gorgeous features of the Trevi Fountain and captivating dome of the Pantheon, you reach the Terrazza Viale del Belvedere inside the Village Borghese park. The viewpoint offers a romantic panorama of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vittorio Emanuelle II monument at sunset.

In the morning, the cobbled lanes of Rome’s historic city center fill with delicious aromas of fresh espresso and freshly baked cornetti, Italian croissants. You will make your way to the fascinating artworks on display in the Vatican museums, located in St. Peter’s Basilica and the halls of former papal apartments. Four rooms on the second floor are known as the Raphael Rooms and they encompass the Pontifical residence of Pope Julius II della Rovere. Master artist Raphael decorated the walls of the papal apartment in the 16th century by crafting the renowned painting, School of Athens. The stunning work represents the regard the painter had for his contemporaries, who are depicted as famous philosophers during the Golden Age of Athens. Some of the subjects include da Vinci as Plato and Michelangelo as Heraclitus.

After you discover the indelible beauty that fills the galleries of the Vatican, you continue to the marvels of Ancient Rome at the Colosseum. The grand architecture remains standing with a powerful outer wall that reaches 187 feet tall. The columns on the ground floor have Doric design, while the middle level contains Ionic style leading to the flourish of Corinthian columns on the top floor. Enter the fascinating ancient ruin to find the Hypogeum, which encompasses the lower level beneath where the arena floor once stood. The labyrinth contains tunnels and walls that were once the training rooms and storage areas where gladiators and slaves roamed during events.

In the morning, you return to the heart of Ancient Rome with your private photographer for an elegant snapshot of your romantic time in Italy. Capture the beauty of the Colosseum in the quiet hours of the early morning before you stroll to the top of Aventine Hill to visit the Roseto, the Rose Garden of Rome. The public garden brims with colorful flowers, which grow along historic pathways of Rome’s former Jewish cemetery. The immaculate and diverse collection of roses provides a sweet aroma filling Viale del Circo Massimo.

The elegance of your day continues outside of Rome in the village of Tivoli. This town is located on the hills where wealthy Romans vacationed in summer to escape the city’s sweltering heat. The gorgeous landscape around the Sabine Hills consists of a limestone ridge and deep ravine that overlooks the Aniene River. The marvelous complex of Hadrian’s Villa was erected in the 2nd century AD, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, and spanned nearly 297 acres. The emperor loved traveling through the depths of the Roman Empire and expressed his admiration of Greek and Egyptian artwork by producing reproductions of original classic works to decorate the grounds of his villa. The open-air museum contains the Maritime Theater, which features numerous works reflected in the serene pool surrounded by regal colonnades and sophisticated fountains.

At sunrise, the heart of Rome feels like a sleepy medieval village. A smattering of artists returns to Piazza Navona before the crowds surround the marvelous figures of Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers. The painters set up their easels and work on capturing the peaceful piazza in the perfect light absent of the distractions of others. It is the perfect time to absorb the romance of Rome and the intricate beauty displayed in the four figures of Bernini’s fountain. It represents the major rivers of the known world in the 17th century, which consists of the Danube, Nile, Ganges, and Rio de la Plata. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to Fiumicino Airport for your flight home.